Jump to content

Decoy Paint?


Pistol*Pete
 Share

Recommended Posts

So my decoys are looking well used.

 

I was thinking of repainting them, Now I know that Pigeons see in UV. Can you get UV paint? or should I just stick to normal matt paint? Has anyone ever used UV paint?? Would it make any difference?

 

Do you think B&Q would do a paint match if I took a dead bird in? :hmm::lol::lol:

 

TIA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never used UV paint so cannot comment on benefits or otherwise.

 

As far a decoy painting I use art Acrylic Matt water based paints obtained from art and craft shops in local shopping malls. Black, white purple and red. Print off good pigeon piccie from google images and off you go. Black and white for various grey tones (obviously) and a V light touch of added purple in places. When decoy dry add a hint of red to grey and blend in breast of full bodied decoys. I like creating artwork.

 

I did a paint match with B&Q. I cropped out required colours from image printed off but my mistake was to print on photo paper. The paint mixer and I felt the reflection off the gloss paper badly influenced the match so if you go down that route print off on ordinary paper.

 

As far as dead birds are concerned the farmer I shoot for took one in to his supplier and asked for pigeon grey paint. The response was that "there as many shades of grey as there is manufacturers, do you have a sample?" He put the dead bird on the counter. By request he's had to change his supplier!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been using flexicoy decoys for as long as I can remember and each Spring ( more or less now ) I give them all a wash and brush up, then when dry I touch up the neck and wing bars with a drop of white undercoat , apart from a few shot holes , which I doubt the pigeons can see , the decoys itself look as good as new with more years of active service left in them than I have got left in me :yes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the past I have painted decoys and matched the colours using Humbol model paints. This thread has made me rethink bird colours and shapes. We have a bird feeder just out in the front garden and the small birds scatter the seed down on the ground. We have an amount of woodpigeon come in and feed on this seed and I have been looking at their shape and colour. From my position looking out of the window at the pigeon when facing away it would be the same view as an incoming pigeon to the pattern would see. the colour of the back of the pigeon is a plain darker grey with a noticeable amount of black from the wings and tail. The white from the neck and the wings doesn't really show much when they have got their head down feeding. It is more of a hunched shoulder shape more like the basic cheap shells with the mid dark grey. I will have to take some pictures of this view.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hear what you're saying, fortune, but I don't think the colours and shape are worth worrying about too much. I remember decoying on a carrot field with my dad several years ago. We were at opposite ends of the field. He was using the most battered and worn decoys that were a pale grey/white all over. They looked terrible. The pigeons weren't that mad on this particular field, but they still decoyed to him.

Edited by motty
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I used to use plastics I would wash and check the paint condition each month. And total repaint each May , the kit consisted of spray can of grey primer, Matt black and Tippex . The eyes were painted with yellow and black Humbrel model paint and rarely needed any work. This what I would do mask the eye area, spray the complete decoy grey and dry, with the Matt black blend the tail and wing edges. Tippex the neck band larger than life and and over paint streaks on wing and tail edges.

 

The only reason I stopped using them was the way birds would be less inclined to come in with out angels so we started to carry thawed birds. As many will know from my repetitive post I tend to use twelve thawed birds now, the reason I use twelve is because I carry them in nylon wine bottle carriers. The thawed birds give you the edge as the birds come in with confidence from the time you start and you can maximise your numbers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hear what you're saying, fortune, but I don't think the colours and shape are worth worrying about too much. I remember decoying on a carrot field with my dad several years ago. We were at opposite ends of the field. He was using the most battered and worn decoys that were a pale grey/white all over. They looked terrible. The pigeons weren't that mad on this particular field, but they still decoyed to him.

I have entered this text in previous posts about this but years ago >> 80's there was an outfit (fife shooting developments ??? something) that did these really chepo abs shells. they were so light and flimsy that they fractured just handling them. they looked nothing like the normal flexicoy and plastic decoys but my mate bought a load of them and we set up out on a field that had been newly sown. my decoys looked like the real thing his looked odd but because they were so flimsy the things moved and rocked on the simple plastic stick thingy. Not only did they move but they had this sort of hunched shoulder look as if there was no head. the incoming birds made a bee line for his decoys. This sort of hunched up shoulder shape is what I see on the real feeding pigeons out on the garden path under the biurd feeder. if I get time I will see if I can take some pictures out of the window to kind of show what I mean and a view of the back of a feeding pigeon that one coming into the pattern would see. bbut then again it is the oddness of what pigeons do from day to day. if you are in the right place at the right time then you have a chance.

I did a google and came up with this link to a bit about them. the images that are available are not the same as he had. I dont know if he still has the odd one but I will ask him and take a few pictures to put them on map.

https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-127292.html

Edited by fortune
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sold by Shooting Developments ,Leslie, Fife. I still have about 20 of them.

 

I have entered this text in previous posts about this but years ago >> 80's there was an outfit (fife shooting developments ??? something) that did these really chepo abs shells. they were so light and flimsy that they fractured just handling them. they looked nothing like the normal flexicoy and plastic decoys but my mate bought a load of them and we set up out on a field that had been newly sown. my decoys looked like the real thing his looked odd but because they were so flimsy the things moved and rocked on the simple plastic stick thingy. Not only did they move but they had this sort of hunched shoulder look as if there was no head. the incoming birds made a bee line for his decoys. This sort of hunched up shoulder shape is what I see on the real feeding pigeons out on the garden path under the biurd feeder. if I get time I will see if I can take some pictures out of the window to kind of show what I mean and a view of the back of a feeding pigeon that one coming into the pattern would see. bbut then again it is the oddness of what pigeons do from day to day. if you are in the right place at the right time then you have a chance.

I did a google and came up with this link to a bit about them. the images that are available are not the same as he had. I dont know if he still has the odd one but I will ask him and take a few pictures to put them on map.

https://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-127292.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am going to have a go at it just in case and trial it on one set of deeks on one side against untreated ones on the other but the problem im finding is that is you search for UV paint lots of different types turn up in the searches..

 

Does anyone know which particular name type the correct paint goes by? photoluminescent, flourescent etc etc...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sold by Shooting Developments ,Leslie, Fife. I still have about 20 of them.

 

Blimey, If you have about 20 of them after all of these years, either you never used them or they have lived a charmed life because they were really thin and fragile. I remember a pigeon landed in amongst my mates decoys and he shot not only the pigeon but also several of the decoys that kind of shattered into a load of bits.

Did you use them much and if so what did you think of them in operation? Could you take a picture of them for me to see if they are the same as I remember his were. The ones that I have seen online are more like a folded thing like cardboard print folded. These are a lot different to the ones that my mate had.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fortune, they get used very occasionally now if I feel I need to use a lot of decoys, although they are always in the bag, I prefer my HH and Flexicoys if I don't have dead birds to use.

 

I take a pic for you.

 

Blimey, If you have about 20 of them after all of these years, either you never used them or they have lived a charmed life because they were really thin and fragile. I remember a pigeon landed in amongst my mates decoys and he shot not only the pigeon but also several of the decoys that kind of shattered into a load of bits.

Did you use them much and if so what did you think of them in operation? Could you take a picture of them for me to see if they are the same as I remember his were. The ones that I have seen online are more like a folded thing like cardboard print folded. These are a lot different to the ones that my mate had.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A1 Decoys used to sell it but I dont think they do any more.. I fancy some myself to see if it helps

 

I have tried to source UV paint everywhere and no luck so far! We found a company in America but they only wanted to supply it in huge containers! :-(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...